The mission of the Massachusetts Policy and Organizing Leadership Academy (The Academy) is to help leaders and organizations effectively and confidently participate in public life and influence the advancement of social, economic and racial justice.

Lew Finfer from MCAN-PICO Co Chaired the successful Raise up Massachusetts effort to get over a quarter of a million signatures to improve the lives of a million or so workers. In this picture, Lew is wearing a pin from Martin Luther King’s last campaign. Lew is an organizer without peer in Massachusetts. Here is an...

from Ali Noorani’s Huffington’s Post in part…. Less than a week to go till the March FOR America and the immigration blame game is kicking into full gear. Democrats are blaming Republicans, Republicans are blaming Democrats. Meanwhile, the DC punditry – aided and abetted by a front pageWashington Post story that doesn’t have a source to cite – is tripping...

Joan Vennochi does it again. A sharp spin on a current hot debate — in this case revenues Here in part TAX BREAKS for Ben Affleck. Tax hikes for everyone else. As he calls for $1.9 billion in new taxes, that proposal didn’t add up for Governor Deval Patrick. So, he’s also proposing to cap the film tax...

Of course the campaign to bring much needed services to autistic adults and others is not just one man’s mission. In fact the effort is being led by The Asperger’s Association of New England (AANE) and they have taken the lead in drafting and promoting two bills to implement the highest priority recommendations of the...

From the Brookline Patch in part The bill looks to close loopholes in existing state laws, require mental health background checks, strengthen gun storage requirements and require liability insurance for gun owners. The following is a press release sent by the office of state Rep. David Linsky, D-Natick. State Rep. David P. Linsky announced today...

Fom RH Reality Check Domestic Workers Rights The attention gap for this issue is particularly unfortunate in light of how hard domestic workers are toiling not just in their jobs, but also to advocate for themselves. The successful campaign for a New York Domestic Workers’ Bill of Rights which passed in 2010, and the campaign in California which...

Just enough for you to know from the venerable Mass Budget and Policy Center: An (actually easy to read) analysis of the Governor’s proposals: Watch here for a detailed report when the Governor files his budget on January 23. In recent days, the Governor has introduced three major policy initiatives. 1) Increased funding for...

According to the Globe The state government plans to eliminate a controversial emergency shelter program that places about 1,700 homeless families in motels and hotels paid by taxpayers, but housing advocates are worried officials will not be able to come up with better alternatives. The money quote came from Chris Norris, executive director of the...

Vote 17 Lowell — still working at setting an example for the rest of the country. We were very happy to be featured in the The New York Times Upfront magazine for students all across the country to read about our efforts to lower the voting age in Lowell! from the Free Library In 2009, city...

A Call to Action from our friends at Rosie’s place – Let’s take it to the streets! On Wednesday, December 12, at 12:00 noon we will gather at the (closed) gate of the Massachusetts State House, right across from the famous Robert Gould Shaw Monument, and march around the block to the DHCD office, 100...

News : Nearly six years after a bipartisan commission sounded the alarm about a transportation system in a crisis so severe that it carried a shortfall of nearly $1 billion a year, Governor Deval Patrick will ask lawmakers to solve the problem with a plan that includes higher taxes. Comment: Are we serious about fulling funding...

THE CHILDREN AND I NEED SHELTER – LAST NIGHT WE SLEPT IN A CAR ( Massachusetts found poem)* Where were you sleeping before you slept in the car? How many nights have you spent in the car? Were your children with you? Do you own the car? Do you have the keys to the car?